Themba Mliswa wasted the country’s time

The probe into the missing $15 billion diamond revenue which was conducted by the parliamentary committee on Mines and Energy has failed to give the country a conclusive answer in its findings writes Tapiwa Vhurundiya

Tapiwa Vhurundiya

Khuluma Reporter

Harare – The probe into the missing $15 billion diamond revenue which was conducted by the parliamentary committee on Mines and Energy has failed to give the country a conclusive answer in its findings.

The report compiled by the Themba Mliswa chaired committee found discordant facts on the amount of money the country lost in unaccounted diamond revenue.

Devoid of any meaningful analysis, the report simply quotes in verbatim submissions by the various figures interviewed during the course of the investigation.

Dominant submissions drawn from the Oral Evidence Sessions held over 10 hours agreed that by mentioning $15 billion, Mugabe overstated the amount of money lost by the country.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defense Martin Rushwaya was quoted by the report equating the $15 billion figure raised by Mugabe in 2016 to a hallucination.

“Mr Rushwaya, in a separate session with the Committee, highlighted that
the 15 billion loss of revenue was not feasible, (he said) whoever gave the former President that
figure should scientifically explain what method he used because if you go by the world
standards, he can vouch for me as an accountant, 14 billion dollars the world over for one
year, it is difficult to reach but you were saying the leakages for 15 billion dollars in
Zimbabwe. Even if every inch had diamonds, we could not get to that stage,” read the report.

The committee also quoted former Board Chair of Zimbabwe Mining Development Company, Goodwills Masimirembwa who also questioned the accuracy in Mugabe’s controversial $15 billion utterance.

The report read:

“According to Mr Masimirembwa, the Former President was using it figuratively. There is no way Zimbabwe sold diamonds worth 15
billion dollars”.

The report contradicts itself when it mentions that Mugabe may have not fully accounted for the losses in his $15 billion gaffe.

“President had a measure of truth in that diamonds worth 15 billion dollars or more could have
disappeared. According to Mr Kurotwi and civil society represented by Mr F. Maguwu and
Mr S. Mtisi, the country lost substantial diamond revenues due to smuggling, undervaluation
and lack of exploration of the Marange area. Mr F Maguwu actually stated that “the
country may not have lost 15 billion alone but maybe 50 billion,” the report said.

The parliamentary committee conceded that there is little hope in recovering the diamonds or money lost.

The report caps an end to an episode of madness where Mliswa invited people to give evidence to the mines and energy committee as a way of stroking his ego.

What was presented to the country as findings make a mockery of the expectations which were raised by the so-called probe which wasted the nation’s time.